One step closer: Lady Eagles rap Lady Spikers, near perfect finish

Game on Saturday (Mall of Asia Arena)

3 p.m. – Awards rites

3:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs La Salle (women’s finals)

MANILA, Philippines - Still sharp coming off a 21-day layoff, the Ateneo Lady Eagles soared to a one-sided 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 victory over shorthanded La Salle to inch closer to a perfect championship season in the 77th UAAP women’s volleyball yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Alyssa Valdez punched in 25 points, including two blocks, as the “happy” Lady Eagles dismantled a limping Lady Spikers side that struggled big-time on the court with skipper Ara Galang in crutches watching helplessly on the bench.

“Today, my players played happy. I told them if you play happy, no pressure, you can win,” Ateneo coach Anusorn Tai Bundit, who kept the Lady Eagles in shape during their long break by conducting twice-a-day training sessions and setting tuneup matches with various clubs.

The Lady Eagles’ 15-game streak is now the longest in a season. They can put the finishing touches to an unprecedented 16-0 campaign with a title-clinching victory on Saturday.

“Right now we’re one game to go and we’re going to go for it. Andyan na, gusto rin ng mga bata (It’s within reach and the girls would love to end it). If you look at them play today, they’re really for it. They didn’t relax,” said Ateneo team manager Tony Boy Liao.

Valdez came out firing from the get-go, dropping nine points as the Lady Eagles stormed to a 19-12 lead to set the tone for a masterful romp in the first set.

It was essentially the same story in the second frame as Valdez and Michelle Morente joined hands in giving AdMU a 20-15 cushion to clear the way for a two-set lead.

With Galang egging on them during huddles, the La Sallians put up a fight in the third and stayed within striking distance at 18-20, only to falter and yield a Valdez-sparked 5-1 exchange that hastened their downfall.

Cyd Demecillo was the lone player in double digits with 10 markers for La Salle, whose misfortunes seemed to continue with Camille Cruz hurting her right knee after a bad fall late in the third set.

Galang, La Salle’s top scorer, is reduced to team supporter after tearing her ACL, MCL, medial meniscus tears and suffering a big bone bruise in their stepladder semis rubbermatch with National U days last Saturday.

DLSU tried out Justine Tiu, Cruz, Carol Ann Cerveza, and Christine Soyud in its effort to fill in Galang’s shoes. Soyud finished with eight to complement Demecillo.

“Naging challenge sa amin sa game we have to adjust during the game eh, kasi we really don’t know pano maglaro yung pinapapasok (It was somehow a challenge for us having to adjust during the game to their new personnel; we weren’t too familiar with some of them,” said Valdez.